Black Blizzard
by PorterHawk
Summary: A prank pulled by some school bullies turns deadly when an unexpected blizzard hits Snowdin. Now both of our favorite skeletons are in for a really bad time, as well as the rest of the town. (Undertale)
1. It Started Off Innocent

"Hey Papyrus!"

Paps jumped and looked around frantically. No ones ever called for him after school before, nor is he referred to by anything other than 'Weirdo' by his classmates.

"Behind you squirt." Papyrus turned around to see four larger monsters, an ice cap, two snowdrakes from his class and a rabbit monster a year ahead of him. Papyrus put on the biggest smile he could muster.

"Hello friends! Is there anything the Great Papyrus can do for you?" The larger rabbit monster wrapped her arm around his shoulders.

"Actually there is," she told him as she dragged him forward. "The gang and I were gonna check out something super cool in the woods today, and we wanted to know if you would join us?" She snickered at the young skeleton.

"Wowie! That sounds great! But I should really ask my brother if I can go-"

"Don't worry about that." the rabbit monster shot back. "It won't take very long, and we'll be back before anyone knows were gone." Papyrus paused for a second. She said it would be a short trip, right? And he's never been invited to do anything with anyone after school before. Maybe they really wanted to be friends with him!

"Okay, the Great Papyrus accepts!"

"Excellent." the rabbit monster shot a quick grin back to her friends, whom snickered back. "Come on, the secret place is in the forest." They led the way over the bridge and out of Snowdin, with Papyrus excitedly following close behind. As they passed the town welcome sign, snowflakes started to fall.

/

Sans stepped through the front door and kicked off his shoes. It had been a long day at the lab, and all he wanted to do was nap. Sighing, Sans crashed on the couch and flipped on the TV. An MTT weather report was just starting, warning of a terrible blizzard later in the evening.

"yikes, looks like we'll be staying in tonight." Sans mumbled. He glanced up at the clock. 3:30. Papyrus should be home from school in an hour. Welp, that would give him enough time for a quick nap before figuring out dinner for him and Paps. With that settled, Sans yawned loudly and fell fast asleep.

/

"Were here!" the rabbit monster announced, her friends quickly running to catch up. Papyrus timidly followed, scared but fascinated by the object in front of him. It was a large, very old looking stone door set at the very back of a cave. Glowing mushrooms surrounded it, giving the place an otherworldly glow.

"Wowie! What is this place?" Papyrus gaped.

"It's our secret hideout." the icecap chirped.

"Super secret hideout, so you have to be super sure not to tell anyone about it, alright?" the rabbit monster said, putting her hand on Papyrus' shoulder. Papyrus nodded enthusiastically.

"But of course!" He said, "the Great Papyrus would never reveal his friends' secret hideout!"

"Good." the rabbit said slyly, knowing she had fully gained his trust. "Hey, why don't we play a game before heading back to town?" The others nodded in agreement.

"Okay!" Papyrus jumped excitedly. "What are we playing?"

"Hide and Seek, you know how to play that, right?"

"Of course!" Papyrus had only ever played with his brother, but always thought it would be better with more people.

"Good, then you can be the first seeker, okay?" Papyrus excitedly nodded. "Good, now you stand here and count to 200, while the rest of us hide in the surrounding forest, alright?"

"Alrighty! I'll start right now!" Papyrus turned to the wall and covered his eyes. "1...2...3...4…" The others quickly made their way out of the cave and up the hill, with the snowdrakes using ice magic to cover their tracks.

"How long do you think it will take before he realizes we left?" the taller snowdrake asked.

"I wouldn't be surprised if he keeps looking till nightfall." The rabbit laughed. The others laughed along with her as they headed back to town.

/

"197...198...199...200! Ready or not here I come!" Papyrus burst out of the cave opening, only to find the snow was already falling even harder. Not seeing any footprints, he rushed up the hill and began looking behind every tree and rock he could find. "They must have picked some really good hiding spots, but I shall not be deterred!" Papyrus said, striking a triumphant pose. "The Great Papyrus will never give up!"

/

Papyrus searched for what felt like hours, but was unable to find even a footprint from his friends. The forest was getting darker, and the wind was starting to pick up along with the snow. He was tired, and he knew Sans would be worried about him if he stayed any longer.

"Friends! I think you are far too good at hiding for the Great Papyrus to find! So maybe you should all come out so we can head back?" No response. "Uh, friends?" Still no response. Papyrus was gullible, but he wasn't stupid, it only took a few minutes of shouting to realize that the others weren't in the forest anymore. Sockets stinging with tears, Papyrus began walking. Why would they leave him, they showed him their secret hideout. That should have meant they were friends… right? Perhaps they realized how late it was getting and rushed home, maybe forgetting to tell him! That seemed reasonable.

Nodding with satisfaction at his conclusion, Papyrus began looking for the trail, only to realize he didn't recognize this area of the forest. In fact, the snow was coming down very hard now, reducing visibility greatly. A sudden gust of wind blew the scarf off his neck into the blizzard.

"No wait!" he reach for the scarf but it disappeared into the storm. Papyrus zipped his coat up further, pulling his hood over his skull. As a skeleton, Papyrus didn't have to worry about freezing, though Sans had warned that cold temperatures could make their bones more brittle. As long as he tread carefully though, that shouldn't be an issue.

"Hello is anyone there!" He shouted, hoping someone could help him. The wind only began howling in response.

"Can somebody help me please!"

"Somebody! Anybody!"

"Please!"

It finally sunk in that Papyrus was completely alone. The woods started to feel a lot darker and bigger then a moment ago, and his breathing began to quicken. Picking a direction and hoping it would lead to town, Papyrus began walking. He trudged on, but strong gusts of wind and deep snow made him trip frequently. The storm was getting louder, and Papyrus' desperation and panic began to take over. As the storm picked up speed, so did his footfall until walking became sprinting.

There was too much noise. He couldn't remember the forest ever sounding like this. The wind sounded so hollow, so angry. He couldn't think straight anymore. Sans must know he's missing by now. Maybe he'll be out looking for him already. But what if Sans gets lost too, or hurt? What if he never makes it back, never gets to see his brother again?

The thoughts made Papyrus tear up again. No! He wasn't going to upset Sans! He would make it home and they would eat dinner and have story time before bed. He would apologize for not telling Sans where he went and-

That last thought was interrupted when he stumbled, realizing he had wandered too close to an embankment. Crashing forward he tumbled down, a sharp pain ripped through his humorous when he collided with a large rock. He was falling again before he had a chance to yelp, feeling like a ragdoll at the mercy of the hill. A sharp crack echoed through his skull when he reached the bottom. He laid there dazed for a few minutes before realizing he wasn't moving anymore. Papyrus tried to use the tree trunk he hit as leverage to stand with, but the moment he moved a sharp pain shot through his temple and arm. He could barely hear himself screaming over the wind, tears flowing down his face as he cried in pain.

This was it. He was going to die here. There's no way he can crawl up that incline. There was no way he can even move. His bones had begun rattling, though he couldn't tell if that was from fear or from the cold. All he could think about was how much he hurt and how tired he was. Barely able to keep his sockets open, he tried to curl up on his side with his back to the tree, cradling his injured arm. As blackness overtook his vision, all he could feel was the weight of the snow covering him, and the howling of the wind that finally silenced as he drifted into sleep.


	2. Somebody Hit the Panic Button

Sans jolted awake to the sound of clattering windows being shaken by the strong wind. Stretching, he glanced up at the clock. 6:15… 6:15!? Sans scrambled off the couch in a hurry, not meaning to take a nearly three hour nap. Usually Papyrus would have woken him up after getting home from school. Did his bro really let him sleep in? maybe he really did look as exhausted as he felt.

Shuffling to the fridge, Sans opened it to discover… he'd forgotten to buy groceries again. Maybe Papyrus would be okay with Grilby's? Sans knew how weird Paps was about grease, but maybe he could grab a milkshake as well to alleviate his annoyance. Satisfied, Sans took a shortcut to to the top of the stairs and knocked on Papyrus' door.

"Hey Papy, I'm gonna grab dinner from Grilby's. I'll get'cha a milkshake."

Silence.

He knocked again. "Hey Paps, are you awake in there?"

More silence.

"I'm coming in Papyrus." Sans announced as he opened the door. To his bewilderment his brother wasn't in it. After checking the closet, Sans searched the rest of the house. "Papyrus?" He shouted as he search high and low for his brother. Concern started to creep in when he realized his brother wasn't in the house. Frantically he yanked his shoes on and opened the front door, the wind forcing a barrage of snow into his face.

"Papyrus!" He shouted, his voice strained from the increased volume. Nothing except the wind and the darkening cavern greeted him. He rushed into the street, looking for any sign of his brother. Sans ran around the house, making sure his brother wasn't playing outside. No luck.

After checking the basement and shed, the next logical place would be the school. Maybe he had been kept after for some reason? His mind made up, Sans ran down the street, hoping he might see Papyrus on the way there. Apparently he was the only one crazy enough to be outside in this weather. The streets were abandoned and the only open shop was Grilby's.

The storm was pushing him back the whole way, but he finally managed to reach the elementary. The building was dark and locked, clearly empty. The playground was abandoned, the swings tangled together from the wind, and only a few street lamps provided some form of light in the darkness.

Breathing heavily, Sans glanced around trying to think. Okay, if Papyrus wasn't at school or the house, where else could he be? Sans wasn't aware of any specific friends Papyrus had, and is sure his brother would have contacted him if he was staying over at a classmates house. Grilby's was out, and the Shop was unlikely since they closed before the storm started.

Sans quickly started walking. If he wasn't in town, then he had to be in the forest.

 _'Oh stars don't let him be in the forest.'_

As if to answer his question, he noticed the silhouette of a long piece of fabric fluttering from a low tree branch near the Snowdin sign. Sans rushed over to it, recognizing it immediately as his brother's scarf.

"Papyrus!" He yelled frantically, only to be met by more wind and snow blinding his sockets. Clutching the scarf tightly, he began rushing to the forest entrance before realizing how stupid his plan was. There was no way he could search the forest alone, not in this storm anyway. He'd probably get lost himself with how bad things were.

Turning back towards town, Sans prepared to take a shortcut. "Hang on Papyrus, I'm gonna get help."


	3. The Race is On

Sans ported to the front of Grilby's bar, slamming the door open as a gust of wind knocked him forward. Sans stumble in before awkwardly trying to close the door against the storm's onslaught. After some struggle, he managed to close the door with a grunt. Using it as support to catch his breath, he opened his sockets to see all three of the bars inhabitants giving him confused looks.

Grilby was in his usual spot behind the bar, wiping a glass down with a cloth. Dogomi and his fiancee Dogaressa were sitting by the counter having a conversation with the bartender. The dogs had gotten engaged shortly after becoming official members of the Royal Guard. Even now they were the cutest couple in Snowdin.

"Sans, is something wrong?" Grilby asked putting the glass away. Though he didn't really have a face to express with, Grilby's flames whipped a bit at the question, most likely in concern. That wasn't much of a surprise. Sans wasn't dressed for the weather, and a layer of ice encrusted most of his exposed bones. The dark rings under his sockets made Sans look like something from a zombie film.

"Papyrus is missing." Sans breathed, trying to steady his voice but failing. Sans rushed forward to the Dogi. "Please, I've looked everywhere and I found this at the edge of town." He said, reaching out a trembling hand clutching Papyrus' scarf. "I think he's in the forest and I can't search the whole place alone."

"Try to breath Sans." Grilby stated calmly. Not realizing he had stopped, Sans inhaled deeply and exhaled, releasing a bit of tension from his shoulders.

"Skeleton pup is missing?" Dogomy said.

"(We will look for young skeleton pup!)" Dogaressa echoed back.

"I will call the other dogs…"

"(And I will search the town once more!)"

Dogamy took out his cell phone while Dogaressa rushed out the door. Sans stood there focusing on his breathing while Grilby approached him from the bar counter.

"You aren't going to fall apart on me are you?" The flame-monster asked as softly as he could.

"Come on Grilby, just cuz I'm a bit rattleddoesn't mean I've completely fallen to pieces." Sans gave a weak laugh which started to turn into sobs, his composure finally lost.

"Try to calm down. Your brother is smart and I'm sure he's holding his own." Grilby said reassuringly. "I will call up the folks in town and ask if they know anything." Sans gave a small nod, using his coat sleeve to wipe his tears.

"The dogs are on their way!" Dogomy reported. Since the weather had turned so dangerous, all of the sentries and guardsmen had been called back into town for safety. This also meant there was no one in the woods who could start looking, leaving Papyrus completely on his own right now. The sooner they could start looking the better.

"Great, I'm gonna go on ahead and start the search." Sans turned to take a shortcut but a firm hand on his shoulder made him stop.

"Sans, you know it's too dangerous right now. And your brother couldn't afford us splitting our efforts between finding him and saving you." Grilby stated. The use of his brother in his logic made Sans cringe, but he ultimately knew the bartender was right. Instead of arguing back, Sans held on to the table while he focused on breathing again. He had no idea how long he'd been standing there, but at one point the bell above the bar door rang as Doggo, Lesser Dog and Greater Dog filled inside. Shortly afterwards Dogressa returned, her fur whipped messily by the wind and a thin layer of snow sticking to it.

"(I could not find skeleton pup, but last smell I found at school entrance.)" that didn't really surprise Sans, just reaffirmed his original theory that Papyrus had gone into the woods. With as strong as the wind was, it was also unlikely the dogs would be able to find a scent trail. The image of finding his brothers cloths in the woods stuck in his mind, not able to find any dust because the wind blew it away. Sans bones started rattling harder at the thought.

"We will split into groups and find skeleton pup." The other dogs seemed to agree with Dogomy. Grilby was already making phone calls to town residents, and Sans was doing his best to not think of the worst possible outcome.

Within the hour, the wind had died down enough for the search to begin. Greater Dog and Lesser Dog would search the northern section of the forest, Sans and Doggo would search the central section and The Ruins entrance, while the Dogi would search the southern part of the forest.

"Alright, if we find anything we will text each other."

"(We meet back at the bar when this is over.)"

The others nodded in agreement with the Dogi and went their separate ways.

Sans had found energy he didn't know he had anymore, his instincts to protect his brother overriding his usually lazy demeanor. Doggo ran ahead searching for scent trails while Sans followed close behind. "Hold on a little longer Papyrus, I'm comin' for you."


	4. New Faces

Everything was dark, and everything was numb. It was better then the pain from earlier, it felt good. He stayed this way for a very long time, until his numbness was interrupted by jolts of a warm sensation. It was strange, but nice. Each new jolt of warmth brought him closer and closer to consciousness...

Slowly Papyrus' sockets partially opened. Everything was a mushy brown color, until a flash of green and a heated sensation brought things into focus. He saw what looked like rough brown fur on top of the snow. Blinking again, he looked upwards to see two sharp eyes and a sideways mouth between them. It had antlers with what appeared to be pine trees attached to its head, and between them it was forming another construct of green magic. A gift box appeared, and floated slowly to Papyrus' skull, bringing with it a warm sensation and a slight rise in his HP.

"...Hello." Papyrus' voice was weak, but he was determined to give this Gyftrot a proper greeting.

The Gyftrot regarded his greeting by blinking their eyes, and proceeded to send another dose of healing magic to the young skeleton.

"Nyehe." Papyrus giggled at the warm sensation. "Thank you," he said with a weak smile, attempting to sit up against the tree trunk. An initial wave of dizziness washed over him as he straightened, but had soon been replaced with a dull aching on the left side of his skull. His bones felt lighter as the snow clumps fell to his side, and he managed to get a better look at the Gyftrot. The monster was laying down next to the skeleton, as if trying to shield him from the wind. A layer of snow was covering their back. They also appeared to have Giftmas lights hanging haphazardly around their antlers, entangled with some bulb-shape ornaments.

"My name is Papyrus, what's yours?" The Gyftrot only stared at him, looking him over with an expression Papyrus couldn't read. "Oh, should I call you Mr. Gyftrot?" Papyrus was at a loss of what to say at the long silence, but took the slight bobbing of the Gyftrot's head to mean yes. Papyrus continued looking over the Gyftrot, seeing the sad mess the lights left the monster in.

"Are you okay mister? Do you need help with the lights?" The Gyftrot regarded what he said momentarily, before lowering his antlers closer to Papyrus. "Alright, I'll just-AHHH!" Papyrus winced back at the sudden pain jutting up his right arm. He looked down in horror at the marrow that seeped through his coat sleeve. His arm appeared to be at an odd angle, and moving it sent waves of pain through his body. Just looking at it made him want to cry, but the Gyftrot was in trouble, and he had promised to help him. Tears pricking in his sockets, he swallowed a sob and began using his good arm to pull off the string of lights. It was tedious, especially since his limbs felt heavy and wouldn't work right. With a lot of effort, however, the lights slowly began to untangle, the ornaments placed in a neat pile. Finishing the last of the lights on the antlers, the Gyftrot stood revealing the rest of the lights tangled around his front leg. Holding his hoof out, Papyrus managed to pull off the last of the lights with a good tug.

"Nyehe! The Great Papyrus has freed you from those lights! Are you feeling better?" The Gyftrot regarded him with more silence before finally speaking for the first time.

"Child, Where are your parents?" he said in a deep raspy voice, almost sounding rusty from lack of use.

"Oh, I don't have any parents... But my brother is probably looking for me, he must be worried…" Papyrus trailed off as he looked at the the dark cavern around him. The wind had stopped howling and was nothing more than a cold breeze now. The snow was falling lightly, and a few of the crystals on the ceiling had become visible. How long had he been out here?

"Where do you live?" the deep voice snapped Papyrus out of his thoughts as he remember the Gyftrot in front of him.

"We live in Snowdin, but I got lost on the way home…" Papyrus could feel the tears forming again.

"Can you stand?" He asked.

"I think so." Papyrus tried rising, using the Gyftrot's antler as support. A sudden wave of exhaustion sent him back to the ground.

The Gyftrot regarded him before laying back down beside the skeleton. "Climb on." Papyrus stared at the monster with a puzzled look, before the command sunk in and he found himself awkwardly trying to climb onto the Gyftrots back. Left arm around the Gyftrot's neck and the right one dangling uselessly, Papyrus tried to balance himself.

After Papyrus managed to get a decent hold, the Gyftrot slowly stood up. Papyrus' hand gripped hard at the monsters fur, but he either choose not to comment or didn't care. They were off at a steady pace, and silence fell over the two of them. Papyrus was feeling tired again, and rested his head on the Gyftrot's neck. The steady rhythm to the monster's footfall and the warmth emanating off his back was lulling Papyrus to sleep. Maybe if he closed his eyes for a few minutes…

"Stay awake child." The deep voice made the boy jolt back to reality, and he tried to straighten his posture.

"I'm sorry Mr. Gyftrot..." Papyrus said meekly.

A few moments of akward silence passed between them.

"...Would you like to be friends?" Papyrus asked barely above a whisper.

The Gyftrot stopped walking and turned his head to face the skeleton, staring at him with a blank expression.

The hope in his eye lights quickly changed to worry. "I'm sorry, we don't have to be friends if you don't want to! I just thought…" he trailed off, a sad expression taking over. The Gyftrot regarded him for a few moments longer before walking again.

"That is fine." It took a few moments for Papyrus to comprehend the Gyftrot's response, but once it sunk in his face was beaming, current misery and exhaustion forgotten.

"Wowie! The Great Papyrus has made his first friend!" He mustered as much bravado as he could manage, which wasn't much.

The Gyftrot gave what sounded like a slight chuckle in response before continuing. They traveled on like this, with Papyrus' raspy chatter to keep them company.


	5. Lost and Found

The search continued well into the night. By the time Sans and Doggo made it to The Ruins, the storm had mostly died down. Nothing more than a light snowfall and a gentle breeze remained of the monstrous storm. It was sure to leave its mark though, if the deep snow was considered enough to remember it by.

The blizzard brought with it over two feet of snow, on top of the additional foot that had already been on the ground.

This wasn't making it easy on Sans, with him sinking well past his knees in most places despite his light weight. Doggo wasn't having as much trouble apparently. When he bent down on all fours he basically disappeared under the snow blanket and tunneled, making him hard for Sans to follow. The dog monster would also make large leaps through the snow like a prancing gyftrot, leaving Sans in the dust.

They both looked up when a bugle-like noise sounded somewhere in the distance. It was a long eerie call.

"what was that?" Sans asked.

"It sounded like a gyftrot, possibly in distress?" Doggo answered, still staring in the direction of the noise. The call sounded again, but Sans wasn't interested. He had already started trudging forward again. He didn't have time to worry about another monster right now. His only concern was finding his brother, and everything else could wait.

"PAPYRUS!" Sans shouted, his voice strained and cracking from all of the yelling he's been doing. With no response Sans looked up and spotted a few sturdy branches in the tall trees. He took a shortcut to one of them, knocking piles of snow off with his landing. He looked in all directions, unable to spot anything noteworthy. He teleported from branch to branch, hoping to find anything but only seeing a sea of white among the pine trees.

"HEY! What was that!?" Sans jumped when he heard Doggo shouting. He had knocked some snow on Doggo's head while teleporting, and the dog monsters vision problems made it hard for him to find the culprit

"sorry, my bad" Sans shouted from the tree branch before giving a weak wave. Agitated, Doggo gave a huff and walked off returning to his sniffing. Sans gave a sigh, but stiffened when he heard a howl echo in the distance. Sans teleported to ground when the howl sounded a second time.

"now what is it?" Sans asked a bit worried.

"Dogomy found something." Doggo stated back matter of factly. The thought of what could have been found was making his soul pound. He barely noticed his phone vibrate in his pocket. Shakily, he opened it to see the best group text of his life.

Dogomy:Pup found alive.

Sans could already feel tears of relief falling from his sockets. But he couldn't let his emotions get to him. Right now he needed to be strong for his little brother. He took a deep breath and put on the best casual grin he could manage. Wiping his tears with his sleeve, Sans started walking back. "i'll meet you back in town doggo," he said casually, voice still hoarse.

"What do you mean by that? Your slower than me." Doggo asked with a raised brow.

"true, but I know a shortcut." and with that Sans had vanished, leaving a startled and very confused Doggo behind.

Sans appeared in the alley next to Grilby's, and rushed out to meet his brother and the Dogi. To his surprise though, a lot of residents were out in the streets instead, despite the late hour. Some of them carried lanterns and flashlights as they split off into smaller groups. There were also a few Waterfall guardsmen standing around the bar entrance.

Sans looked around a bit bewildered before a kindly voice spoke up from behind him.

"Oh Sans, I am so sorry this has happened dear. Has there been any news about your brother yet?" It was the shopkeeper, a look of genuine concern on her face.

"uh yeah, I just received word that the Dogi were on their way back with him." Sans replied. The rabbit monster exhaled a sigh of relief, the tension in her shoulders loosening a bit. "by the way, what's with the party?"

"Oh, Grilby had been calling the townsfolk asking if anyone knew about Papyrus' wearabouts. It worried so many of the residents that we started to form a search party separate from the guard." She glanced over at the residents gathering. "Even Guard Captain Gearson came all the way out from Waterfall with backup."

Sans was a bit surprised by that last statement, though he really shouldn't have been. The soon to retire Captain of the Guard was known for having a soft spot with kids, and since there's a severe lack of crime or other emergencies in the Underground right now it would make sense for him to come here. He was also the closest thing to a doctor they had. Having none in Snowdin and all the others located around Hotland and New Home, he was the only one close enough to the town if a medical emergency ever arose. Hopefully it wouldn't come to that.

Sans turned when the alley door to Grilby's bar opened. An exhausted looking Grilby stepped outside and sat on the doorstep, pulling a cigarette pack from his pocket.

"hey grilbz, what's got you so heated?" Sans asked with a smirk. The bartender looked up at him and sighed.

"Gearson has completely taken over my bar as Guardsmen headquarters until this rescue is complete!" The fire monster said, his flames flickering in agitation. "They could have picked your house or the inn, but apparently Gearson's arthritis makes stairs too difficult so they picked the only single story building in town with a proper bed."

Sans couldn't help but laugh at how flustered and talkative the normally stoic bartender was being. It was well known that the flame monsters living quarters were behind the fire door in his bar. The monster was so dedicated to his business that he literally never left, and now his home had been taken over by the Guard.

"don't worry grilbz, your always welcome to stay with me if you need to. there's always room on my sofa, just be sure not to smoke the place up." Sans grinned at Grilby's annoyance.

The fire monster pinched his face where the bridge of his nose would have been. "At least your brothers been found. The sooner this whole mess is settled the sooner I can get my bar back."

Sans chuckled, though there was a small part of him that felt bad for Grilby. He offered his assistance when Sans came in half frozen and near his breaking point; spent who knows how many hours calling town residents and talking to them, something the bartender rarely did to begin with; and now he was being displaced from his home because of this whole mess. Sans knew he would need to make this up to Grilby somehow, hopefully in the near future.

"Dogaressa is coming!" A male rabbit monster shouted from the street.

Sans looked up with large eye lights at the sight of Dogaressa rushing across the bridge, carrying a bundle wrapped in her cloak. The biggest wave of relief the skeleton had ever felt washed over him, and a genuine smile crossed his face.

"papyrus!" Sans rushed forward to meet them, but Dogaressa ignored him and kept running. He slipped on ice trying to change direction and landed hard on his tailbone. "oww." He moaned, struggling to his feet again before following the dog monster. His face went from a pained expression to a confused one, not understanding why she had run past instead of giving him his brother. Captain Gearson stepped outside of the bar's front entrance, and Dogaressa had stopped in front of him panting heavily. The tortoise monsters expression became grave upon looking at the small skeleton. What was going on?

It wasn't until Sans caught up to them and saw Dogaressa hand the captain his brother that he understood. His soul sunk and his eye lights went out in shock. His unconscious brother's face was the only thing visible in the fabric wrap. His skull was an ashen color, with dark circles under his sockets. Marrow was frozen to the left side of his skull where a large crack ran from the back of the parietal bone all the way through his eye socket.

Sans froze in place as Gearson took Papyrus into the bar, Dogaressa close behind. He couldn't breath, he couldn't think. All he could do was clutch his chest as his breathing got shallower and more rapid. His bones started rattling and a sudden feeling of lightheadedness took over. All the noise and voices around him vanished, drowned out by his own internal screaming. He was vaguely aware of hitting the ground with his knees, and seeing a set of dark shoes rush towards him as he passed out.


	6. Diagnosis

Sans awoke with a groan. Opening his sockets, he realized he was… On a leather couch in the bar? Sitting up slowly, he saw the opposite side of the fire door across from the couch, a separate wooden door next to it leading to the kitchen, and a small hallway opposite the kitchen door. He was in Grilby's living room.

'How long was I out?'

He looked up at the grandfather clock across the room. 4:00 am… 4:00 AM?! He'd been out for nearly three hours?!

A lock clicked behind him. Sans turned to see Grilby entering through the back door carrying a duffle bag. The fire monster looked up and saw Sans staring at him. He grabbed a wooden chair and took a seat by the skeleton.

"How are you feeling?" the fire monster asked calmly.

"Tired." Sans said bluntly. "What happened?"

"You had a panic attack and passed out in the street after Dogaressa got back. I brought you to the back room in case you wanted to see your brother when you woke up." Sans stared at him blankly before realization hit him. He remembered everything. Dogaressa running past him, Gerson in the doorway, Papyrus in his arms, looking grey like a fallen monster….

'No, no no no no nononononoNO! He… he's fallen? no, that can't be right, he must have been mistaken. Papyrus can't fall down, he's PAPYRUS, the happiest most energetic kid he knows. The only reason he still gets up every day, still goes to work and still goes outside…'

Flashbacks of the lab accident began to replay in his mind. The metallic walls and platforms above the molten Core. Gaster dissolving as he fell into his creation. His father being there one moment and gone the next. How he failed to save his father, and now the same has happened to his brother too.

'I failed.'

'I failed my entire family.'

'I failed my baby bro.'

'I am the worst brother in the world.'

'He never deserved a selfish pile of trash like me. I should be the one falling down, not him. He never did anything to deserve this, he...'

"Sans…"

Slowly the older skeleton became aware of the noises around him, like a voice was trying to speak to him. He blinked, bringing the living room back into focus and a worried flame monster on the chair across from him. The noise slowly turned into crackling words.

"...ans?"

"Can…..me?"

"Deep breathing Sans."

Sans hadn't realized that he was shaking again and hugging himself. He focused on his breathing as requested.

In. Out. In. Out. In. Out. Over and over and over again.

Once he started to calm down, he finally managed to ask the question he'd been dreading.

"has...has Papyrus... f-fallen?" Sans asked barely above a whisper. Grilby stared at him for a moment while trying to find the right words.

"He hasn't fallen but… he's not in the best shape right now. Gerson is treating him in the guest room."

So Papyrus was still alive? "i need to see him grilbz! i-" He started to get up but the flame monster pushed the skeleton down from the top of his skull. Annoyed, Sans looked up to see Grilbys normally orange flaming arm covered in reddish dark spots as if he'd been splashed with water.

"Before you see him..." Grilby added while plopping the duffle bag on Sans' lap before the skeleton could ask any questions."I stopped by your house and grabbed some spare clothes for Papyrus. I took the liberty of packing some clothes for you as well. I hope you don't mind but you're still sopping wet and I refuse to carry you with wet clothing again." Sans looked at himself and at Grilby's arms, feeling guilty upon the realisation. His clothes were still wet from the melted ice and snow that he collected from the storm. He'd forgotten to change from his lab clothing before going out to look for Papyrus, and would probably need to buy a new pair of slacks after this.

Sans took the duffel bag and gave the fire monster a week grin before walking down the hall to the bathroom. He wasn't too surprised to see the bathroom was turned into a storage closet, since a flame monster wouldn't really need a room dedicated to water. After stacking some boxes to clear enough space to move, Sans put the bag on the sink and unzipped it. He pulled out a white t-shirt, a pair of jeans he'd forgotten he owned, and his blue parka with the fur-lined hood. Grilby even packed him his pink slippers.

He changed quickly and shoved his wet clothing into a side pocket on the duffel bag before searching for what else Grilby had grabbed. There was a clean short sleeve shirt for Papyrus, a small pair of sweatpants, dry socks, and several of the children's books from Papyrus' room. He even packed the blanket from Pap's bed with the talking racecars on it. Sans would have to thank Grilby for this later, the bartender was a far better friend than he deserved.

Stepping out of the bathroom/closet, Sans headed towards the slightly ajar door at the end of the hall. He took a breath before slowly pushing it open. Gerson was sitting on a wooden chair packing his medical supplies into his bag. Papyrus was laying motionless in the bed, covered in thick blankets. Gerson looked up and smiled at the skeleton in the doorway.

"Oh, good to see your awake! I was just finishing up with your brother and was hoping to discuss a few things with ya." Sans just nodded at the tortoise monster, and allowed himself to be led out of the room and back to the leather couch. Gerson had San's sit on one end while he chose the other.

"How bad is it?" Sans managed to ask, voice hoarse and sounding like a froggit.

"His HP has stabilized for now, but the shock to his soul from tonight's events have left him mostly unreceptive to healin' magic. He suffered some trauma to his skull and socket, but those can be healed once his magic replenishes. His arm…" the Guard Captain paused.

Sans couldn't look the monster in the face anymore, choosing to stare at his bag instead. Gerson's dark medical bag was speckled with grey powder. Sans hoped that wasn't dust but he knew better.

"His right humerus also had a bad comminuted fracture through it. His magic had been holdin' it together but was completely depleted by the time I saw him. I'm sorry, but I was unable to save the arm." He took a moment to let the news sink in before startling at the skeletons reaction. "Hey-"

Sans couldn't hear the tortoise monster anymore. He didn't WANT to hear him anymore. A comminuted fracture is like fragmenting a bone, shattering it into small pieces. For it to be that bad Papyrus' bones must have been cold and brittle. He had been out there for so long… His baby bro had been stuck out there for hours with his arm hanging in pieces like that...

'This is all my fault.'

'If I wouldn't have taken a nap I would have notice Papyrus was missing before the blizzard hit. I could have found him before he was hurt, before he'd even gone in the woods!'

'I'm so stupid, STUPID STUPID STUPID STUPID STUPID STUPID STUPID STUPID -'

Slowly a firm shaking on his shoulder started to bring him back to reality. Gerson was mouthing something to him.

"Hey…...me?"

"Kid….."

"Kid…. can… hear me? Good, please stay strong for me Sans. Your brother needs ya to be here for him, that can't happen if your constantly having panic attacks." The old monster grinned as Sans eye lights became more focused.

"I think that's enough talkin' for now, why don't you go see your brother and we can discuss more in the mornin'." Sans just nodded before slowly trudging back to the guest room. He didn't feel calmer, just drained. Three panic attacks in one day was a new record, one he never wanted to repeat again.

Sans placed his trembling phalanges on the doorknob and pushed it open. He made his way over to the wooden chair and plopped down by the bedside. Papyrus' head stuck out from the blanket pile, gauze covering the crack on his head and left socket. Everything below his chin was covered in blankets, which was fine for now. He still wanted to spend a little more time in denial about what Gerson said. His brother looked peaceful, like he was simply sleeping.

"Hey little bro." Sans whispered, petting Papyrus head with his phalanges.

"I'm glad you're still with me." His eye sockets began stinging with tears.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there for you bro, I'm-" he choked on a sob.

"I'm s-sorry Papy, I'm s-so so sorry..." He blubbered, unable to hold it in anymore. He thought that with everything that happened to him today, somewhere between searching for his brother and three separate panic attacks, he'd run out of tears to shed. Apparently, he was wrong.


	7. Just Call Me Dad

Grilby exited the kitchen after hearing the door in the hallway click shut. Gerson sat quietly on the couch, a sad yet thoughtful expression on his face. At some point the tortoise monster noticed Grilby and smiled.

"Well that could have gone bettered." Grilby crackled.

"Wa Ha Ha! What do ya mean? That went about as well as I expected." The bartender raised a theoretical brow at Gerson, his flames flickering faster. How could he be laughing about this? The tortoise noticed the fire monster's reaction and grinned up at him.

"Oh come now Grilby, he's a teenager trying to raise a child by himself, and you didn't expect him to be a nervous wreck after that child nearly died?" The two of them were silent for a moment. Grilby knew the tortoise monster was right. Sans would talk about his cool baby brother a lot when he stopped by. Pretty much everything the skeleton did seemed to be for the benefit of his little brother, and now he's probably blaming himself for all of this.

"Welp, the bar is yours again Grilby, but I'll leave the skeletons under your care for now. I'll be at the Inn if ya need me." The old monster stood up and headed towards the back door before Grilby realized what was said and flared up in response.

"What do you mean the Inn?! I thought you couldn't do stairs?" The Guard Captain grinned at his flustered friend.

"And leave the half-dead kid in the hands of a panicked 18 year old who's too worried to even take care of himself?" The old monster's grin widened. "Besides, back during the war I remember your troops referin' to ya as the "Biggest Mom in the Army," right behind the queen. You're the perfect monster to handle this!" Gerson couldn't help laughing as Grilby crossed his arms in embarassment, his face turning a little pink. "Wa Ha Ha! I'll stop by in the mornin'!" Gerson waved and shut the door behind him.

Grilby leaned on the wall, hands rubbing his temples. The old bastard had planned this all along, and what does he know about his leadership skills! Back as a war general, sure he would always stop to talk to his troops, but that was to make sure moral was alright and they had someone to vent their worries and problems too! And maybe he would stop by the cooking tent more often then he should to help prepare good nutritious meals, that was because he liked cooking! So what if he was constantly worried that everyone was eating properly, sleeping alright... Stars maybe he was like a mom?

Still working through his existential crisis, the sounds of muffled sobbing from down the hallway pulled the bartender from his thoughts. His flames dimmed as the weight of the situation set in. That's right, there's still two kids here with no parental guidance, no one to help them get through this. Sans probably has no clue how to handle a child this sick, much less an amputee. The poor guy was already overwhelmed before this mess. Grilby was also pretty sure he was the only real friend Sans had in Snowdin, it's unlikely anyone else would step in to help him…

After a moment of silence, Grilby sighed and rubbed his face with his hands.

'Well, if I'm taking care of these kids, I should probably close the bar tomorrow. I should also clean out the bathroom, see what type of medicine I have. Maybe dig out one of Fuku's old coats to replace Papyrus'…'

The flame monster stood up straighter and went to grab his cleaning supplies and waterproof gloves. He needed to make the living area at least slightly more appropriate for non-fire monsters. As he opened up the door to the bathroom, several clumsily placed boxes fell into the hallway spilling their content. Grilby only stared at the new mess with a blank expression, before facepalming at the sheer insanity of it all.

'Oh stars, what have I gotten myself into?'


	8. Nightmare

It was bright outside, the snow laid in a clean thick blanket across the forest floor. The small skeleton ran through the woods giggling, red scarf trailing behind him in the breeze. He hid behind a snow poff and tried to suppress a giggle as a panting Sans made his way over.

"Now where did my little bro go?" Sans said playfully.

Papyrus closed his eyes and covered his mouth to stop from laughing. After a moments pause Sans' footfall started up again, moving away from the snow poff. The small skeleton got a great idea, he was going to sneak up and surprise his brother! Slowly he lifted his head above the top of the snow poff trying to see where his brother was walking. To his surprise, however, his brother had completely disappeared. Apparently Sans could move far faster than Papyrus had ever thought possible.

Slowly stepping out from behind the snow poff he made his way to the small clearing his brother was just in. Glancing around the surrounding forest he was unable to find any trace of him, not even footprints.

"Sans!" He called out several times, but received no answer. Things in the forest had become deathly quiet. The wind had stopped blowing, creating an eerie stillness to the area. Suddenly a black blur flashed across the edge of his vision. Papyrus frantically turned to try and find the cause, but could see nothing except trees and snow.

"Brother, is that you?" He called again but received no answer. Another black blur moved at his other side and he spun again. Growing fearful, the young skeleton began rattling and breathing faster.

"H-hello? Who's t-there?" Papyrus stuttered. He received the answer in the form of a black figure quickly taking shape a short distance in front of him. It was goopy and sludge like, taking the form of a tall man. Papyrus jumped, too scared to speak. The shadow stared at the wide-eyed skeleton for a moment, an unbearable silence set in as the two eyed each other. Suddenly, the figure lunged forward. Screaming, Papyrus turned and bolted through the trees, soul pounding out of his chest.

Tears poured down his cheek bones, pure terror the only thing fueling him. Papyrus desperately looked around the forest praying he would see his brother, that Sans would come out and protect him.

"Sans! Please help me!" He cried, breathing heavily. Papyrus looked around frantically but could not see his brother, just endless rows of trees.

His foot caught on something and he stumbled, landing face first in the snow. Papyrus turned just in time to see the black figure lunge at him. He shrieked and tried to summon a bone wall to protect himself, but his magic wouldn't take form. Horrified, Papyrus stared wide-eyed as he was engulfed in the goopy monster. Darkness engulfed him, and Papyrus began falling into nothingness, screaming and crying his brother's name. Voices of his classmates started speaking over each other.

"Weirdo."

"Freak."

"Idiot."

"Loser."

"WEIRDO!"

"LOSER!"

"FREAK!"

"IDIOT!"

Papyrus screamed but the voices grew louder. They increased in volume until he thought his head would explode. He noticed things around him were becoming hotter the farther he fell. Everything was hurting and his body was on fire. It was almost enough to drown out the voices. When he hit the bottom, he felt like he would either explode or melt, either would be preferable at this point. Papyrus tried to cover his ear holes as he curled up into the smallest ball possible, crying out for help that wouldn't come.

"S-sans…" he sobbed, "...please h-help me…"

Sans placed a cool cloth on Papyrus' forehead. His little brother was running a high fever and rattling violently. His breathing was strained, and he was whimpering in his sleep. Magical exhaustion along with the loss of his arm caused the skeleton's magic to go into severe flux. Though not uncommon for young monsters as they grow and their magic settles, this was not the same. Magical flux due to trauma or injury was far more severe than flux caused by growth spurts, and without proper treatment the affected monster could dust easily. Sans had never seen symptoms this bad and had no idea how to treat it.

Thank the stars Grillby and Gerson knew what to do. Sans had initially been reluctant about staying at Grillby's home. He and his little brother had been alone for years now. Sans had to grow up fast in order to raise his brother. Being so self reliant, the older skeleton didn't like the idea of being dependent on someone else like this. It made him feel weak, like a failure. He had felt the same way about asking for help while searching for his brother during the storm, but knew his brother's life was more important than the little pride he still had in himself. Similarly, when Papyrus' symptoms started to get really bad Sans became far more accepting of the help he was offered. Sans himself may not know what to do, but both of the older monsters had dealt with similar situations during the war where plenty of monster were injured, maimed or killed.

Gerson said the first day that Papyrus was too sick to move to a hospital in Hotland, and Sans had never taken anyone with him through a shortcut. He decided not to risk hurting his brother further if he couldn't manage the extra passenger. The tortoise monster had put a request in for more advanced medical supplies, and his lieutenant managed to deliver the package in record time. Sans wasn't too keen on the fish monster's loud mouth and rough attitude, but was happy she was a fast runner. It had been three days since the supplies were brought in, but Papyrus wasn't improving much. The IV drip and magical supplements Gerson had ordered had stabilized his brother's HP and restored some magic to his system, but there wasn't much else they could do now. All Sans managed to do was sit by his brother's side and feel useless.

"Please bro, I don't know how to help you…" He gripped Papyrus' shaking phalanges in his own, rubbing the boy's knuckles and cringing as his brother's whimpering increased. It was as if he was in pain, or perhaps having a bad dream? The thought reminded Sans of a time shortly after their father was erased. His brother was really small then and would come to his room almost every night after having terrible nightmares. Sans would hug his brother and comfort him, read to him and let him sleep in his room. Back then he and his brother would project magic to the other, sharing their emotions and comforting each other when things got really bad. They hadn't done that in a while. At some point Papyrus had stopped visiting Sans at night when he had nightmares…

The thought gave Sans an idea. Maybe he couldn't help treat his brother's illness, but he could try projecting to him. Maybe it would provide some peace of mind to his baby bro?

Closing his eyes, Sans focused his magic into his hands. Left eye lit and magic ready, Sans began projecting to his brother. Love, Safety, Comfort, Protection. He focused these thoughts behind his magic and pushed it forward, allowing it to wash over his brothers soul. He kept his thoughts concentrated on those words.

'Love, Safety, Comfort, Protection.'

'Love, Safety, Comfort, Protection.'

'Love, Safety, Comfort, Protection.'

As his magic crossed with his brother's, he immediately gasped at the impact of pain and fear the smaller soul was emanating. He could almost see the dark form of a small skeleton, curled up and crying for help in a sea of black. He sent his magic in deeper, the fear and anguish becoming more intense. He was slowly moving towards the rattling figure on the ground, blue magic glowing in his outreached hand. As bad as the negative emotions were he was determined to power through them. He reached farther and farther, trying to call out to his brother, though no sound left his throat. The terror and pain were almost unbearable, but Sans was so close. A little further… just another inch...

It was loud, dark and burning. Why did it hurt so badly?! He would never escape The noise, the fear, the loneliness. Why couldn't it stop!? Why wouldn't it end?! Why?!!...

The young skeleton felt a boney hand grab his own, and the noises became more muffled. He opened his sockets to be greeted by a light blue glow instead of darkness. Words, calm clear words were being whisper around him.

'Love, Safety, Comfort, Protection.'

'Love, Safety, Comfort, Protection.'

'Love, Safety, Comfort, Protection.'

Papyrus felt himself being gripped by someone protectively, allowing the new calmer voices to replace the angry ones. He hugged back. He couldn't see who was gripping him but they felt safe and familiar, radiating a magic he knew well.

'Sans.'

Things could be better. Sans had accepted both his and Gerson help, which was the good news. Unfortunately, the skeleton had been completely ignoring his own well being. It was clear the morning after the storm that Sans had worried himself sick. He had been rattling almost constantly the last few days and was obviously running a fever of his own. Frustratingly, however, he wouldn't accept treatment and refused to leave his brother's side.

Grilby himself wasn't entirely sure if Papyrus would survive or not, but Sans' obsessive worrying over his brother was also troublesome. If Papyrus didn't make it he was sure Sans wouldn't be far behind. The flame monster sighed. It wasn't fair for things like this to happen to such young monsters, but there was nothing else he could do. He could only pray for the best but prepare for the worst.

Turning the stove down to a simmer, Grilby dished the hot broth into a bowl and set it on the tray along with the ketchup. If Sans wouldn't allow anyone to treat his illness then maybe Grilby could at least convince him to eat something that may or may not be laced with medicine for the fever. Picking up the tray he made his way down the hall. Things in the guest room had gone quiet since he last checked on them. He could no longer hear Papyrus' muffled sobs or Sans' worried voice from behind the door. Concerned, Grilby slowly turned the doorknob and peaked inside.

Sans was passed out, sitting on the wooden chair while his upper body rested on the bed, one arm pillowing his skull. His other was clutched around Papyrus' phalanges and emitting a faint blue glow. Papyrus was quite, his pained expression was gone and his breathing was less laboured. He almost looked peaceful.

Grilby made his way over and put the tray on the bedside table. Grabbing a spare blanket from the closet, he carefully draped it over Sans' shoulders. The skeleton appeared to snuggle into it. If the flame monster had a mouth he would be grinning at the sight before him. He relaxed a bit at seeing the peacefully resting brothers. It had been days since anyone in the house had slept, and he was happy to see Sans was getting some proper rest. Grilby quietly exited the room, and slowly closed the door behind him with a soft click.


	9. Checking In and Out Again

Everything was foggy, like he was floating in a heavy cloud. It was comforting and quiet, and he was so tired, so groggy. He didn't want to leave. Thinking was too much effort. He just floated there, waiting for the darkness to embrace his mind again…

"...ddo…"

Distantly he began to hear muffled noises.

"...just….ec…"

What was that? He tried listening closer, and the fog slowly started to clear. As things became more focused, he realized how cold he felt. It wasn't a normal cold, like when he played in the snow for too long. This cold was deeper than that, as if his soul was freezing in his chest. The cold had never bothered him like this before. Why was he so cold? As he became more aware of his body, other sensations started returning. His bones were heavy, and he felt sick and weak. The feelings only intensified as he became aware of pain. He was sore all over, but felt the worst throbbing from his head. About the only thing that didn't hurt was his arm. Speaking of his arm, it not only didn't hurt, but felt… weird, like something was missing…

A clawed hand started prying his socket open. A blurry looking reptile came into view, leaning in with a small light and gazing into his socket with a single intense eye.

"Hmmm… eyelights are there but hazy. Are ya awake?" The monster released Papyrus' socket and leaned back. He felt himself being 'checked' by the older monster. "I'm seein' more normal magic levels. You're still fluxin' though."

…"fluxin'"…? What does that mean…?

The small skeleton managed to force his sockets open, though it looked like part of his vision was dark, or covered by something? His right socket could see though, and the blurry tortoise monster leaned in closer and smiled.

"Glad to see your amongst the livin'. How ya feeling young one?" Papyrus wanted to say that he felt cold and tired and weak and awful. That nothing made sense, and everything he could see looked blurry. He tried to say it but his voice wouldn't cooperate. All that came out at first was a high pitched whine.

"That bad, eh?" The reptile chuckled as Papyrus' expression seemed to answer the question.

"I'm Captain Gerson of the Royal Guard, but ya can just call me Gerson. Can ya tell me your name?"

Papyrus thought for a moment before trying to speak again. "...pa...pyrus…" he croak. He sounded like a froggit with laryngitis. Even the simple act of talking made him feel tired.

"Good! Can you tell me how old ya are?"

"...eight…" He decided that using single words was less exhausting than using full sentences.

"That sounds about right. Now, do ya remember how ya got hurt?"

Papyrus paused. What happened to him again? There was snow and lots of loud noises, and at one point he was in a lot of pain, but what caused it? There was a tree… and a hill…

"...i don't...know…?" he whispered. He couldn't remember exactly what happened. Questions started racing through his head.

'What's going on? Where am I? Why am I here? How did I get here? Why can't I remember anything? Why-'

"Calm down kiddo." Gerson shushed him when the skeleton's expression became frantic. "It's alright if ya don't remember now, we can talk about it later when ya feel better." Papyrus noticed Gerson was scribbling something on a notepad. The tortoise monster took his pen and held it up to Papyrus' face.

"Could ya please follow the pen while only moving your eyelight?" He slowly moved the pen side to side, and Papyrus did his best to follow the fuzzy object. "Very good. Now how many fingers am I holdin' up?" Gerson held up a clawed hand. Papyrus squinted trying to make out the blurry looking claws.

"...three?" It looked like three anyway. It was hard to tell though.

Gerson nodded and took a few more notes before looking up and grinning. "Your lucky kiddo. It doesn't look like that crack in your skull did any permanent damage. It's gonna leave quite the mark though." Crack to his skull? Is that why his head was hurting so much?

Gerson began fiddling with a syringe and a bottle of fluids while he started rambling. "It was touch and go for a while, but it seems like you'll pull through. Not in one piece, mind ya, but at least you're not dust." He chuckled softly.

...Not in one piece…? What does that mean? He was all here, wasn't he…? Papyrus tried checking his limbs. He could feel the bed under both legs, and he could feel his toe bones wiggling against the sheets, so that checked out. He moved on the his left arm. He was able to grip the sheets with his hand and move all five phalanges. That just left… He tried moving the phalanges on his right hand but nothing happened. He couldn't feel the bedsheets or feel his arm at all. His sockets went wide and he began breathing heavily. Was his arm gone?! Is that what Gerson meant?! That can't be right?! It has to be there! That-

Suddenly the ache in his body began disappearing. His panic was being replaced by grogginess. Papyrus turned his head to see Gerson filling an IV bag with the syringes content.

"Sorry about that kiddo, I'll try ta give ya more warnin' next time. This'll help ya feel better though." Gerson said as he put the syringe away.

Papyrus was already drifting off again, but he needed to ask one last question. "...Is it...gone?"

Gerson looked at him puzzled before his gaze became sympathetic. "Yeah kiddo, it's gone."

Papyrus' soul dropped further as his mind flooded with panicked questions.

'Is this real? This can't be real. This has to be a bad dream. Skeletons can't grow their limbs back, can they? What will happen to me now? I'm broken beyond fixing. What will my brother think? Sans will be so angry with me. He'll hate me for this. I just make his life so much harder…'

Tears began prickling in his sockets, though Gerson remained calm and gave the boy a soft smile, patting his small shoulder. "You're a tough kid. Most monsters wouldn't of survived that blizzard. Heck! I doubt some of my guardsmen would have made it unscathed." He gave a hearty laugh before continuing. "Things may seem bad now, and it will take awhile to adjust, but if ya can survive a storm like that then you'll get through this in no time." Gerson's words were surprisingly comforting. Something about his calm demeanor and the confidences behind his words was infectious. Papyrus felt himself relaxing a bit as Gerson spoke. "Try ta stay positive. Me, your brother, and even Grilby will be here ta help ya. Now, is there anything ya need right now?"

Papyrus was upset and cold and groggy and exhausted. He just wanted to hide away and sleep forever. "...cold…" he said under his breath.

"That all? Wa ha ha! You're sure easy to please." Gerson grabbed a spare blanket and pulled it over Papyrus' chest. "Now try an' get some rest."

His body was already feeling warmer as he began drifting off again. "...thank you.." Papyrus whispered, though he's not sure if managed to form the words or not. He was already back in that comforting fog again…


End file.
